Recent report suggests health trends and priorities in Clark County

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CLARK COUNTY — Clark County ranks 14th among Washington’s 39 counties in overall health status and 12th in health factors such as individual behavior, quality of health care, education and jobs, access to healthy food and air quality, according to the 2017 County Health Rankings report released on March 29 by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“These rankings are relative to other counties and while they fluctuate somewhat year to year, they have remained relatively stable,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, health officer and Public Health director. “Many of the health challenges in Clark County mirror national trends.”

Rankings of most individual measures remained similar to last year’s rankings. Areas that improved include physical activity, alcohol-impaired driving deaths, teen birth rate, unemployment, uninsured, preventable hospitalizations, violent crime, high school graduation and air pollution. Areas that declined include STD/chlamydia infections, health provider ratios and injury deaths.

Most Clark County teens avoid alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drugs, but substance use rates tend to increase with age.

Teens who have experienced trauma such as abuse, neglect or depression tend to use alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drugs more than their peers.

Substance use rates are generally similar to or improving from rates in the 2014 survey, the last year the survey was administered. However, fewer youths perceive marijuana as harmful compared with previous years.

In 2016, 37.9 percent of Clark County 10th graders perceived a great risk of harm from regular marijuana use, down from 45.9 percent in 2012 and 49.4 percent in 2010.

These studies point to Clark County’s following health strengths and areas for improvement:

At a recent discussion forum with Battle Ground Police Chief Bob Richardson community members were invited to learn more about legal marijuana and how to prevent youth from using marijuana. A group of students who attended the event had these bracelets available, pledging that they will not do any drugs. Photo by Mike Schultz

Public Health will consider recent health reports as it develops a Community Health Improvement Plan using input from community health stakeholders about issues they care about most. The plan will follow efforts of health partners focusing on these goals:

Improve access to affordable, safe housing

Improve access to healthy foods as a means to combat overweight and obesity

Improve mental health and emotional well-being

Reduce rates of substance abuse, particularly marijuana use among teens